Inside the great and funny afterword to his
not-so-great unfunny novel, Quicksand
House, is where bizarro king Carlton Mellick III says this:
“Like most of my books, I wrote Quicksand House during a writing marathon. A writing marathon is where I start and finish a book in a single session. … I checked myself into the Red Lion Hotel by the Portland Airport for almost three weeks. … Once I’m in writing mode, I’ll work for twenty hours straight.”
I quoted that for a reason and it’s because I’ve
been dreaming a story probably called “Twilight of
the Judges.” It’s nothing like you think. In those little bits of
time when I, until recently, drank or else I smoked or else I planned blog
posts for writing, this “Twilight of the
Judges” thing has been sort of, you know, forming, making itself known to
me, whatever.
Ninety-six hours of vacation time is how much I
lost, last year.
And “Twilight
of the Judges” cannot be written in a week, no, though that is how much I
can take off my job at a go, I believe, right now, things being what they are, always.
But a week could get me a long way. Would. I mean would.
This is something I will do. I’ll go to a city I don’t know, I’ll check myself into a hotel, and I’ll begin writing. Nothing can go wrong even if nothing goes well. I’ve heard good things about the Overlook, in Colorado...
This is something I will do. I’ll go to a city I don’t know, I’ll check myself into a hotel, and I’ll begin writing. Nothing can go wrong even if nothing goes well. I’ve heard good things about the Overlook, in Colorado...
Are you moving?
ReplyDeleteNope, just going somewhere else long enough to clear my head and get some writing done.
DeleteI've discovered I have all of this vacation time I work that I haven't been using. And when I go away for a week, my job is still there when I come back.
Is your planned opus anything like "Twilight of the Gods"?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure it's anything like anything. Hopefully, it turns out better than the other attempts I've made at writing longer pieces.
DeleteMay your writing streak with the wrenching of gut, the laying bare of truth, and dopamine.
ReplyDeleteI'm combining two ideas that are completely different in tone, which will be fun to try and fold together.
DeleteNick Cave has a line in his documentary film about how the key to writing a good song is to throw together disparate elements and see what happens. I'm not sure writing works the same way, but that's what is going to happen, in this case.
My credibility is near an all-time low on this subject, but still, go for it. The odds of you regretting having done it seem far lower than those of regretting having not done it.
ReplyDeleteWhether that is a sound basis for a decision or not, is, sadly, another area where my credibility is maybe somewhat lacking.
Didn't I read about a Carlton Mellick III story on the Bloggess' page once?
And hang in there.
-Doug in Oakland
Mellick has a book called "The Haunted Vagina," and somebody sent it to jenny, much to her delight.
DeleteIt's nowhere near the strangest book title Mellick has. Not by a long shot.
Can you call it a "vision quest"? Good luck with the writing.
ReplyDeleteAll work and no play make Jack a dull boy (repeat ad infinitum)...
DeleteIt sounds like a good idea Harry....write on......we'll read it when you're done.
ReplyDeleteIt's probably a terrible idea. I mean, at least with blogs, I get feedback on what I've written. But it's time for something a little different, so I'm going to give it a go and see what happens.
DeleteSounds like something Stephen King would do, he pumps out books like crazy.
ReplyDeleteCarlton Mellick has a pretty crazy book release schedule, too. It's kind of amazing how some people manage to get into a groove where they can just keep churning them out.
DeleteI hear ColoRAdo is nice. I dunno so much about the Overlook, though. But I DO hear nice things about Colorado!
ReplyDeleteRegards,
Beej in TN
I hear they're considering legalizing psychedelic mushrooms out there.
DeleteI've heard of several authors who did it that marathon style. I kind of do with my National Novel Writing Month thing, but not as extreme. It can be a health hazard.
ReplyDeleteI thought of the NaNo thing when I was writing this post. I know there's no way I can write a novel in a month. The ones I have written in the distant past have taken me 7 months. And I didn't have much of a life outside of work and writing while I did it -and once I was on (prescribed) steroids that kept me awake all night.
DeleteWe'll see.
What about the cabin that James Caan's character used in Misery? Good luck with this project and hope you can accomplish a lot in a week. I
ReplyDeleteThank you, Mr. Shife. Suggestions are always welcome, so long as they don't end with Kathy Bates smashing my foot with a sledgehammer.
DeleteHarry, I am so happy and proud of you! You are inspiring me!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Stacy. This "having goals" thing is sort of new for me, at least for recent years it is, but hopefully, the results will inspire...
DeleteAll work and no play makes Jack a dull boy...
ReplyDeleteOh, you already said that😊 Redrum then.
ReplyDeleteI need to just make a pop culture reference and then leave it out there unexplained to rise or fall on its own. But I always end up coming back around to make sure everyone got it.
DeleteNo more. From now on, if people don't catch it, it's their loss. Or gain. Whichever.
I thought this was the site for the Shining movie. Don't writers need to suffer while writing. Being in a dive vs. a pampering place might change your writing.
ReplyDeleteBeing in a dive wouldn't change my writing because it would just feel like the place I usually write. Sans the cat.
DeleteI'm afraid one week won't do. You need to be holed up in that place for an entire winter. Without the twin sisters...
ReplyDeleteI was going to say that a week is all I can risk without losing my job, but maybe after a couple weeks there, I'll never have to worry about my job ever again.
Delete